The Ballad of Ethyria
by RowanReale
Summary: Faize and his friends crash land onto a hidden planet, yet their lives are saved by a mysterious woman. Faize becomes entranced by her beauty and a seed of love is planted, yet there is someone else who yearns for love. Read and find out who!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer! I do not own Star Ocean, I do not own anything in relation to Star Ocean save for my own character. However I have been working on this story for quite some time. The Chapters are kinda strange, I realized while uploading this that the first few are very short, so I put two per "page" I hope that upon reading this you become entranced in the story. Reviews are urged so if you like the story tell me and Ill update more often : **

Chapter 1: The Storm

"Edge!" shouted a girl from the control panels. "Edge I can't see anything!"

Outside everything was black, small flashes of blue and purple lights came from all directions and every once in a while one would be felt hitting the side of the Calnus.

"Faize! What can you see on the radar?" Edge shouted from the post in the center of the brig. He was holding onto the sides of his station trying to keep his balance from the lightning that continued to hit the ship and jostle him around violently.

"Nothing is coming up on the radar, and all the other equipment is malfunctioning!" Faize shouted back to him, as he frantically tried to find a reading on their whereabouts. From the back two small girls could be heard crying with disapproval, one with blue cat ears holding onto anything she can grab and the other spewing incoherent words, an incantation to force the movement to stop. When suddenly the Calnus was hit with a violent strike; the whole cabin was shaken and caused everyone to be knocked off their feet. In the back the small girl was thrown to the other side of the brig, she was saved only by the metallic hand of her big friend. While in the front Faize picked himself off of the floor and tried to regain his balance, this became hard to do as the ship was hit with another violent strike. "Edge, the ship can't take another hit!" Faize shouted, and as if in an answer the ships warning alarm started to sound, and from above steam started to pour from a broken pipe.

Edge reached up and grabbed the side of the consol, pulling himself up again. "Reimi, get us out of this!" only the sound of the piercing alarm was heard. "Reimi?" still with no answer Edge looked towards her station and saw her lying awkwardly over her chair. "Reimi!" he ran to her aid but without prevail for he was thrown onto the floor. Another strike hit the Calnus and she started to spin out of control. Then suddenly as if it was never there the storm vanished, and the Calnus fell to its destruction.

"Edge?" Faize called. He looked over and saw that Edge had been knocked unconscious, and with no captain and no flight control Faize decided to take matters into his own hands. "Bacchus," he yelled behind him as he tried to push Reimi out of the way. "Bacchus is there anything you can do?"

"I have been trying, but all of the systems are down and I can only repair them from outside of the ship. I'm sorry Sir Faize but there is nothing I can do." Bacchus tried to get up but he was afraid of losing the small girl lying in his hand. He brought up the schematics of the ship and everywhere was flashing red areas, warning them of system failures.

"Great! Ok, if you can, hold on! This is going to be rough!" Faize grabbed onto the flight controls and tried to pull the ship out of her downward spiral. Nearly missing a huge mountain he managed to pull her into a less chaotic spin. He reached for the backwards thrusts but found that they weren't working, upon trying to find anything that will slow them down he only found that all the backups had malfunctioned or been destroyed. With no way of slowing them down he watched in horror as the ground came inevitably closer. The alarm sounded frantically and every inch of the Calnus creaked in protest to the velocity of its downfall. As Faize watched the ship fall into an open valley he saw a small figure standing in its center. When what seemed like inches from collision a sudden blinding flash of white light surrounded the cabin, time ceased to move and sound was whipped from existence.

Chapter 2: Awake

In the distance Faize could hear muffled sounds, slowly he identified a soft humming noise and after what seemed like forever the ringing in his ears subsided. He opens his eyes and everything was fuzzy, trying to gather his surroundings he heard movement behind him. As he tried to muster up the strength to move pain shot through his body and he screamed from the shock. The movement behind him stopped and the room went quite, it was at this point that he noticed the ships alarm had been silenced.

Suddenly he felt a presence near him, trying to open his eyes and look through the cloudy veil Faize saw the outline of a person. They leaned down and softly touched his abdomen and again the pain shot through his body. His breathing became labored and he felt the unknown being lay its head on his chest. Opening his eyes to now see with more clarity the person that sat next to him, he saw a woman. Her hair was the color of the setting sun and flowed like rippling water in a stream. As she lifted her head from his chest he noticed her complexion was flawless and glowed like the rising sun and her eyes where a deep shade of purple with flecks of gold. Yet suddenly he remembered his friends, he painfully tried looking around for them but they were no longer in the last place he saw them. His nerves were on the fritz, all he wanted to do was get up and find his friends, but with no strength he didn't see how this was possible.

Frustrated he tried to speak, "My friends…where..." was all he managed to say before the woman cut him off.

"Shh, don't speak," Her voice was gentle, soothing, and it calmed him," your friends are safe, we have taken them to the infirmary. They will be up and around before you know it." She smiled and Faize was shocked to see that her beauty was still able to enhance with such a simple gesture. "You on the other hand, your body in badly broken and I must tend to it before any further damage is obtained."

"But…who…"

"No need for that now little one, sleep. Sleep and drift away from your pain." Her words surrounded him and covered him like a blanket, calming him absolutely and with ease he drifted into a peaceful slumber.

As what seemed like seconds past, Faize reluctantly awakened from his painless sleep. As before the first thing that he noticed were sounds, sounds of moving objects, of distant voices in the background, yet the only thing different this time was the absence of the ringing that clouded his mind once before. Faize opened his eyes and stared up at triangular light fixtures surrounded by blue and red tiles that adorned the Celine. As he slowly looked at his surroundings he noticed other unique artifacts that told him he was in the infirmary. Although his memory was shot, he couldn't quite pinpoint as to how he got there or where he was before. Instinctually he sat up to figure out the situation he found himself in, almost instantly pain pulsated through his body and sent screaming responses to the brain the cease this movement at once. Without warning he was hit by a wall with such force it knocked the wind out of him, he became dizzy and faint. His body lurched, turned and with no control he vomited.

After the second time his stomach purged its self Faize felt a cool dampness on the skin of his neck. Water slowly traveled down his chin, to his face picking up sweat and grime alone the way. As this new substance entered his mouth it mixed with the warm acidic liquid and caused his stomach to react, sending him into another convulsing fit. His body drained, his insides finally settled, and the pain becoming too much he lost all strength and collapsed, only to be caught by the arms of Edge. As Edge laid him down again he closed his eyes and let his body go and drift back into a distant sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Aria Faitallinye

The water trickled down the stream, and the wind tousled the plants adorning its banks, while small birds sang their angelic songs to the Lady in White. Aryia passed by them, through the forest and by the river, like an ancient force long sense past, to be seen only by those that wish to see. As she walked through the forest and enjoyed the warmth of the sun that danced on her face, the smell of the earth around her, and the sight of golden trees surrounding her. She could feel the never ending abundance of life within the forest; she heard the beating heart of small animals and felt the minds of many that brushed against her conscience.

As she walked through her forest of life, she immediately noticed an irregular beat. Making her way towards the source of discomfort she found a young creature trapped under a large boulder. In her observation she discovered that there had been a small rockslide and that this poor creature was caught in the incident. As life was leaving its frail body she could hear it being crushed under the weight. She approached the creature and it didn't fear her, it lay still, allowing Aryia to carefully remove the rock from its body. Once free from the pressure she placed her hand over its chest and searched for the cause of its suffering. Its bones were crushed in many places and she discovered that its ribcage had been severely damaged and was starting to puncture its third lung; she knew that if it tried to move its life would fade. Aryia closed her eyes and felt warm power slowly flow through her fingertips and into the small creature. Steadying the energy she possessed she repaired the broken rib and closed the tear to the lung; she also healed any small fractures that might cause the creature further pain. Once finished she allowed the power to dissipate in herself, and opened her eyes once again. The small life before her seemed hesitant to move, but after a short time it lifted itself off the ground and carefully balanced onto its six shaky legs. Once it grasped that it was no longer broken it bound around Aryia in gratification. She watched as it rolled through the forest floor and nipped at the smaller animals that happened to be to close. As it came back to her side it placed its front paws on her leg and looked into her eyes with unyielding joy. She stroked the creature's fur and chuckled at its response to her touch. She was just about to pick it up when something else grabbed her attention. Both she and the young life sensed this new arrival and froze, looking up at the sky, searching for its location.

Aryia and her new companion quickly made their way towards the disturbance and eventually came to a vast open field filled with golden foxtails. As they stood there she could feel a drastic difference in the atmosphere than where they previously were. The air was dense and felt drenched with static electricity, and she could hear the clouds crack against an unseen force. After a time she watched the sky ripple far into the distance as a ship found its way through the storm. It fell through the sky spinning uncontrollably and nearly hit a jagged mountain top during the process. It seemed to correct its trajectory and started heading directly towards her, she could feel her small friend's heartbeat getting faster as the ship came closer and she could sense the faint heartbeats that occupied the ship. As the vessel seemed almost inches from collision a great power awoke within her body, it flowed through her limbs and stretched across the valley filling it with a blinding white light.

The power that filled her started to fade and she safely set the ship on the valley floor. Her small companion showed no fear as it ran towards the vessel and leaped onto its bow. Aryia on the other hand wanted to inspect the exterior of the ship; the hull itself was badly damaged with gas leaking through many tears and exposed pipes. The feudal wings were almost ripped off from the ship completely, being kept in place only by the many wires that fed through the wings themselves. Something was leaking onto the floor of the valley and causing the plants to wilt and burn; she stretched her mind towards the leak and sealed off the area causing it. As she walked to the left side of the vessel she noticed a hatch and what appeared to be a compartment below. She waved her hand in the direction of the compartment and slowly a ramp descended, landing onto the ground below. Her small companion had found its way back to her side and ran up the ramp with excitement. As she approached the hatch she let her mind drift through the wires and found the way to open the door.

It shot opened and caused Aryia's little friend to run back down the ramp and into the plants below. Without looking to see where it had gone she took her first step into the ship. Again she allowed her mind to stretch into every corner, searching for any of the life signs she felt before. The inside of the ship didn't seem in any better condition than the outside, a huge section of the hull was missing and the glass was shattered in most places. It was dark and the only essence of light came from the sun that leaked through the windows and cracks. Her attention was quickly obtained by the presence of faint life signs in the brig.

Chapter 4: From the Beginning

Aryia walked down the long corridor towards the front of the ship focusing on the life signs she sensed. As she entered the brig she saw multiple bodies laying everywhere, to her right a small child was hunched over awkwardly in her secure seat and a young boy lay on the floor against the wall. To her left she saw a huge metallic being grasping onto the body of a small cat like creature and as she walked towards the front of the brig she found two more bodies lying near the controls. The ships alarm was screaming violently and it clouded her mind, within a couple seconds she found the source and silenced it. Without the sound of the alarm hindering her thoughts she walked towards the back of the brig, to the small girl that was secure in her seat. Aryia knelt down before her and placed her hand under her chin, as she lifted her head up she reached towards chest searching for any damage she might have acquired. She found no serious injuries and continued on to the next person. As she approached the metallic man she sensed an awakening within him, she was not surprised when he pointed his weapon towards her.

"I command you to cease your movements. I demand to know who you are." the metallic being said with authority.

"I am Aryia Faitallinye. I am not here to harm you." She responded with a non threatening tone.

"Where did you come from, why are you here?"

"This is my planet, you came here, so I should be the one asking these questions." She responded with even more dexterity. "I saved your lives, now I wish to help you. Will you give me that chance?"

The metallic man paused and seemed to ponder on the question asked, he finally lowered his weapon and said," My name is Bacchus, and I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer."

"Good, now if you would help me gather these bodies and take them to a place I can tend to them…"

Both Aryia and Bacchus carefully examined each body and took them to a room adequate enough to be called the infirmary. The small cat girl and the boy on the floor had little to no injuries but each suffered from mild concussions. Aryia examined the young frail body hanging over a chair by the controls; she discovered many broken bones and a large cut just above her brow. She immediately called for Bacchus to take this girl to the infirmary and start to clean and dress the wound. As she helped him remove the frail child from her position she sense movement near her. A loud pain induced cry came from the boy behind her; he was lying on the floor trying to move. Quickly she went to his aid and ran her hand over his chest searching for the cause of his pain. With every touch he winced and cried and she shamed herself for not tending to him first. Aryia looked back up at Bacchus and motioned for him to get the girl to the infirmary fast, for the blood had started to pour quickly from her wound. As he carried the girl away Aryia leaned her head over his chest and listened for any irregular rhythms to his systems. Once she concluded that he was not in any danger of respiratory or circulatory failure she started to tend to his wounds.

"My friends…where" he tried to say, but Aryia cut him off.

"Shh, don't speak. Your friend's area safe, we have taken them to the infirmary. They will be up and around before you know it." She smiled trying to ease his nerves "You on the other hand, your body in badly damage and I must tend to it before any permanent damage is obtained."

"But who…" he tried to speak again.

"No need for that now little one, Sleep." Aryia waved her hand over his eyes, "sleep and drift away from your pain." His eyes closed and she could hear the even breathing that ensued within his lungs. Bacchus returned from the infirmary, walked over to the boy and with great care he picked him up and took him away, Aryia followed close behind.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 5: First Impressions

As Aryia and Bacchus made their way to the infirmary she could sense the presence of her new friend outside. Upon entering the room she noticed that all of the tables were occupied by other members of the ship. This caused her much concern for she needed, with great urgency a table for her new patient.

"Bacchus, I require a place for him." Aryia said as she walked over to the nearest table. Bacchus searched for a solution but could not seem to settle on a decision.

"Here," Aryia beckoned, "take this resident to another part of the ship, hand the boy you carry to me." Bacchus seemed hesitant to release the boy onto her, after careful consideration he decided to heed her command. Cautiously he gave to boy to Aryia and allowed him to rest in her arms. She watched as Bacchus pick up the boy which lay on the table before her and pass through the door. While in his absence she focused on the boy whom now lay in her arms. She could feel his weak heartbeat and desperately yearned to mend him. His face was flushed, most likely from his body reacting to his injuries, yet as he lay in her arms she felt a connection deepening in her heart. Her yearning to care and protect this boy began to cloud her thoughts until they were interrupted by the return of Bacchus. He took him from her arms and placed him onto the table. A feeling of unease overcame her and she forced herself to resist the urge to reach out for him.

"I fear his condition is escalating" Bacchus retorted causing Aryia to snap out of her thoughts. She walked towards the table and placed her hand on his chest, allowing her power to seep into his pain.

"Bacchus, I require that you tend to the other passengers, the girl first. It's vital that you clean her wound and wrap it tightly." Without looking to see if Bacchus obeyed, she started heal the young boy.

It was only few hours till the first passenger awoke. Aryia was still mending inconsequential injuries obtained to other members of the crew when she noticed his awakening.

"Reimi…Reimi!" he shouted as he burst into the room. He paused in the doorway searching anxiously for the person he shouted for. The moment he saw who it was he yelled for he ran to the table where they lay. Aryia turned and watched him gingerly brush the hair away from her face. "Reimi…." Was all he managed to say. She ignored the reunion and continued onto the next patient, a small cat girl, upon nearing the table she was startled by the sudden advancement of her heartbeat and quickness of her recovery. She shot up and hissed at Aryia making periodic gestures and advancements as to ward her away. This seemed to grab the boy's attention for he was soon directly behind Aryia.

"Who are you?" he asked with authority, Aryia turned to face him still aware of the small girl behind her. As she stared into his eyes she could sense the fear and confusion that clouded his mind.

"Do not be frightened, I am not here to harm you." Aryia responded with an absent expression. She noticed that he was reaching for a small knife as if to protect himself in case she attacked. She looked at him still with a non-threatening expression said, "Don't tempt my curtsy. You crashed on my planet, destroyed my earth, and damaged my atmosphere. If I planned on killing you, I would not have waited till you awoke."

They stood there for a moment as the tension between them rose, it was only broken by the voice of Bacchus, "Master Edge, I am content to know that you are well. Yet I am concerned with the aggression that is growing in this room."

"Bacchus, who is this woman and why is she here?" Edge commanded.

"Master Edge, Her name is Aryia Faitallinye. As to her presence here, she has been tending to the injured for multiple hours."

Edge stood more erect as if trying to assert his dominance. At that moment Aryia heard noises from behind him and his attention was immediately peaked. He ran over to Reimi's side hoping that she was coming too, when in reality it was the young boy beside her that was waking.

The boy grumbled and shifted trying to rustle himself out of a deep sleep. Aryia watched as Edge walked over to his side and tried to help the boy.

"Faize," Edge whispered, but the boy did not seem to hear him. The young girl behind her jumped off the table and quickly went to his side. Faize shot up and within seconds he leaned over the side of his table and vomited. Aryia walked over to a basin and picked up the rag which lay in the shallow water, she walked over to Faize's side and gently placed it into Edge's hands. She caught his gaze and deciphered the look in his eyes as, annoyance. She turned around and walked over to the wall watching Edge's futile attempt to calm Faize's discomfort. She could sense his heartbeat getting faster as his body purge the contents of his stomach. Once the boy had calmed down she observed Edge place him back onto the table and walk over to the sink washing off the stained cloth. Aryia turned and began to leave the room but was stopped by Edge before reaching the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said without kindness. The cat girl hopped up onto the counter and stared at Bacchus as he cleaned up the vomit on the floor.

"I'm stepping outside. Or must I have your permission to do so?" She said back to him.

"Why? You don't plan on leaving do you?"

"I plan on regaining my strength from the long hours of healing your crew Edge. If your wish is for me to leave I shall not hesitate to do so." She answered, taking a few steps towards the door.

"What makes you think they are my crew?"

"It's obvious, only a leader would challenge a stranger so blatantly. Or is that called a fool?"

"How dare you…" he began to say, becoming very irate.

"Reimi is awake," she told him, while he was distracted she took the opportunity to walk out of the room and into the freshness of the air. She walked down the ramp and into the weeds, being met by her friend along the way. She sat down in the weeds facing the ship and began to regain her strength, allowing the life of her planet to refill her spirit and ease her emptiness.

Chapter 6: A commotion

Faize awoke to the sound of commotion, his body ached and his mouth tasted rancid. As he opened his eyes he saw two big blue eyes staring back at him.

"Faize!" the young girl shouted causing his head to pound. "Edge! Faize is awake!" she shouted with joy. He tried to sit up but was unable because of the girl that blocked his way.

"I wouldn't do that, last time it didn't turn out so well." Edge's voice shattered into his mind and he saw a smile appear upon his face.

"What's happened? I...I don't...I can't remember." Faize said trying to regain his thoughts.

"That's probably a good thing, you went through a lot of trauma."

Faize looked around the room at the many faces that occupied it. Reimi was sitting on the edge of her table carefully touching the bandage on her forehead. Meracle and Lymle sat on the counter enjoying each other's company. Bacchus stood in the corner surveying the room and Edge stood next to the bed trying to find words that would explain the situation. He felt as though someone was missing, like there had been another presence in the room before.

Faize tried to remember something, something that would tell what happened. Yet the only thing he could recall clearly was a blinding white light and a river of flowing gold.

"Faize?" Edge asked, concerned.

"Sorry I was…trying to remember." Faize placed his hands over his face trying to force the memories to surface.

"Well from what I can figure, we crashed on an uncharted planet. Yet we somehow survived and were brought into the infirmary by Bacchus and an unknown woman."

"Woman?" Faize asked intrigued.

"Well when I woke up I tried to recall what happened, when I remembered the crash. To be honest, I thought we were all dead." Edge spoke glancing in Reimi's direction.

"And then he came bursting into the room shouting 'REIMI!'" Meracle chuckled, "he looked like a lost puppy." Meracle stated laughing so hard she nearly fell off the counter top.

"Edge was worried about Reimi, 'Kay'" Lymle added smiling; she looked at Meracle and giggled at her reaction to the comment. Faize watched Edge's face flush with embarrassment.

"You weren't even awake!" Edge barked in her direction.

"How do you know? You were too busy kissing Reimi's lips."

"I was not!" Reimi's eyes got wide and her face began to brighten. Edge didn't dare look at her for fear of the humiliation.

"Well, Meracle started yelping and begged for someone to save her. So I turned to see what the commotion was when I saw her." Edge spoke with concern as he remembered the woman, "She seemed very arrogant." His face went cold at even the thought of her.

"She did say we hurt her home." Meracle added, trying to stand up for her.

"It doesn't help the fact that she was rude." He told her.

"It's not her fault, you were rude first." Meracle retorted, hopping of the counter and placing her hands on her hips. Faize mind wondered off as they continued their dispute. He decided to take this opportunity to sit up, gather himself. His head was heavy and he started to feel sick. Steadying himself he took deep breaths in and out for a few minutes. After his body settled he tried to stand, his limbs were weak and shaky.

"I see that you're feeling better." Faize turned towards the voice and saw one of the most stunning women he'd ever laid eyes upon. Her skin was golden and perfect, the clothes she was adorned with made her look like the purest angel, they were pure white with ribbons rimmed with gold fabric. Her right arm was covered with a sleeve while her other stayed bare. She had long flowing pants and was barefoot with a unique inscription on her ankle. Her presence revived something within him, as if he had met her before, yet he couldn't pin point the location. She walked towards him with unmatched grace and stopped next his table.

"It's a relief to see you standing, and your arm looks just like new." She smiled at him and his heart skipped a beat, "It's not every day that someone can have almost every bone in his upper body broken and yet have the ability to move, let alone stand."

She walked over to his side, gently examining his chest searching for any damage she might have missed. As her hands passed over his body they left a stream of fire in their wake. Faize's breathing began to quicken and his heartbeat followed the motion. He looked into her eyes as they scanned his chest; they flickered with concentration, purple with flecks of gold concentration.

"Everything seems to be healed." She said looking into his eyes. "Are you in any pain?"

"N…no. Nothing. Hurts." He said becoming lost in her eyes. They stood staring at each other for a while, the room stayed silent only revealing the essence of life every so often. Lymle sat on the counter glaring at the exchange.

"So now that everyone's awake." Edge began walking over to Faize, "let's figure out what's going on, namely who you are." He crossed his arms, looking with distrust at the woman.

"If you really want to know what happened, and who I am, may we please do it outside of this room? It's no longer sanitary for everyone to stay in here; it could compromise with their immune system." She looked around the room and was unpleased with its condition.

"Fine." Edge said walking over to the entrance gesturing for the woman to go first. She went willingly and gracefully through the door followed by Edge, Reimi, Bacchus and Meracle. Leaving Faize and Lymle alone, the room settled and for a time nothing disturbed it. Until Lymle hopped of the counter and walked carefully over to where Faize stood, she pulled herself onto the table top and crawled to his side. She sat there for a moment on her knees, waiting for Faize to notice the interaction. He stood still, staring off into space trying to regain his composure. His heart beat quickly and his skin still tingled from the woman's touch, it bothered him greatly that she couldn't control these feelings.

"Faize?" Lymle asked concerned, she placed her hand on his arm and he was instantly cured. He turned and looked into the eyes of the young girl, her face looked worried and hurt and it made Faize upset.

"I'm sorry Lymle. I didn't mean to make you worry," he hugged her gently and released a sigh; "I was just lost in thought was all."

"Faize?" she said again, staring straight ahead.

"Yes?" he responded pulling away from the embrace, she wouldn't look at him.

"I don't like her." She said coldly, her body shown no emotion but her voice spoke loudly with anger.

"Why? You don't even know her." He said confused. He waited for her to continue but she didn't say anything after that. She only lept off the table and drifted through the doorway. He watched her leave then followed behind her shortly after.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 7: Let's Talk

Everyone sat around the table, no one spoke yet everyone had something to say. The room was exposed to the open air and it found its way in through every crack and fissure. Light followed in its wake, leaking through like a flood trying to pry its way into every inch of the compartment. The animals outside began to flock to the crash site, interested with the foreign object that lay on its earth. They surrounded it with curiosity, while the birds tested it from above the lower creatures pondered on its design. The young life that was saved sat still and unaffected by this metal beast, waiting for its master to return from its insides.

"So, let us begin shall we?" Edge asked, sitting proudly in his chair. His crew surveyed one another and the room periodically, while their leader stayed focused on the stranger. Faize too watched her intently but not with distrust, he watched her with unyielding fascination. "I will ask you questions and you will answer them truthfully." Edge directed.

"How will you know if I answer them truthfully or not?" she retorted playfully.

"First question. What is your name?"

"Aryia Faitallinye."

"What is your purpose here?"

"I am here to help you."

"Why?"

"Why not?" they both glared at each other, the tension in the room began to rise and it made everyone uncomfortable. Reimi decided it a good time to interject.

"Excuse me," she said shakily, Aryia calmly turned her attention to the girl, "My name is Reimi, we don't mean for this to be an interrogation." She looked at Edge giving him the signal not to speak. "We are travelers; you see our world was destroyed."

"Reimi!" Edge interjected, he was hurt and angry with the conversation. He began to stand trying to silence it but was only met half way.

"Edge Maverick. I am the commander of this ship, it would do you well to know your place." She stared him down, placing the authority in her hands. Aryia was shocked at the revealed fact.

"Reimi, I am still the captain…" he started but was stopped before he could say anymore.

"I took over the post of captain when you were unfit, and I still see that you are incapable of performing your duty. So therefore I am still the Commander of the Calnus and you must do as I tell you. Is that understood Edge?" She proudly stood by her chair, yet Aryia could sense the fear in her. Edge reluctantly backed down and held his peace. She mimicked his action and uncomfortably regained her composure. Aryia stifled back a snicker, but had trouble hiding her smile. "Anyway," Reimi continued," We are travelers from a planet called Earth. You see after cultural differences the governments of our planet released a deadly force that whipped out all life. After generations of rebuilding we managed to create a colony outside of the Earth's atmosphere, here we lived and prospered for years. Although nothing we did fixed our planets condition so we were forced to seek other means of survival.

Teams were gathered to search the galaxy for solutions to the problem. We are one of these teams. Our goal was to procure other planets in order to rebuild our society."

"So why did you come here?" Aryia inquired. "Why didn't you find another planet to rebuild on?"

"We did, but every planet we visited has yet to bring up accountable results for repopulation." She looked at Lymle sadly and continued, "We are trying to find planets that are uninhabited, and our goal is not to invade but to rebuild. And we did not mean to cause harm here, to be honest we had no idea there was a planet in the part of the systems."

"We were headed for a nearby galaxy when our ship encountered a problem." Faize began. "We pulled out of hyper drive and when we did we found ourselves falling towards your planet. Our computer never gave warning of your planet and immediately after entering your atmosphere we lost all system operations."

"I see." Aryia spoke, she seemed unaffected by this, and allowed them to continue.

"So again we apologize for causing any harm to your planet and once we get everything repaired we will be happy to leave."

"If you were heading to another Galaxy, then why did you stop here? If you don't mind my asking." Aryia asked curious.

"Well" Faize began, "You see we had just gotten out of a, flashback experience. Not too long ago we somehow found ourselves back in old Earth, before the nuclear war. After fighting our way out and getting back to our ship we were able to come back into our rightful time. Our ship wasn't in the best of conditions when we made it out, which caused many problems. We were headed to my home planet Aeos, when we encountered a severe problem and forced us to pull out of hyper dive. And that's when we began falling; falling forever it seemed onto your planet."

"That would explain it." Aryia spoke more to herself than to the others. Everyone stared at her with confusion. She leaned gently back against the chair, her golden hair fell over her shoulders and sighed.

"Explain what?" Reimi asked concerned.

"It would explain why you happened here." She ran her slender fingers through her wavy hair and glanced outside.

"Why would that explain it, what are you not saying?" Edge asked angrily, he leaned towards the table, resting his hand onto its surface.

"Is he always like this?" Aryia asked Reimi severely annoyed by his repeated outbursts.

"Not always." Reimi responded embarrassed.

"I seem to find that hard to believe."

"So, could you explain what you meant by that statement?" Reimi asked, "I mean no harm but I believe we are inclined to a response."

"I understand. I can reassure you that this was not an act of violence in any way. What I said was completely out of speculation. You see for reasons I'm not willing to explain, my planet is protected." Aryia began, "For years this planet has gone unnoticed for some time. A long time ago there was a war on my planet. Many lives were lost, innocent lives, and my people were facing destruction so they created a bubble in space. We were hidden from our enemies, with the most advanced machines they could not find us. Which explains why you could, you see because of the extensive damage done to your ship before you reached my galaxy and the sheer inclination of your technology you passed right through these defenses."

"So you're saying that because of how crappy this ship is, we were able to make it through?" Meracle chuckled, she seemed completely amused by this fact and it only made Edge more upset. He looked at her and she quickly silenced, laughing ever so softer.

"I see, wont this cause you trouble though?" Reimi asked concerned.

"I don't see how, our technology is much more advanced than you could imagine. I'm sure this will have no effect on anything."

"That's reassuring." Reimi smiled uneasily, she seemed offended but tried to hide it from her companions. They sat silent for a while, the animals outside began getting restless and were starting to carry into the cabin. Faize shifted uncomfortably in his chair all the while capturing quick glances at Aryia. Her beauty fascinated him and it was taking everything he had to stay composed. Lymle watched his face with growing jealousy wishing he would look at her that way.

"So, what exactly are we supposed to do? With the ship I mean." Meracle asked breaking the silence. "I mean it's not like we can find the material needed to fix it here. It seems to me that we are surrounded by forests, unless Aryia has a village or a city of sorts."

"I'm sorry but that is out of the question. There is no city here, there hasn't been for hundreds of years." Aryia stood unexpectedly; she walked towards the door without warning and began her way outside. "You may repair your ship here in this valley. If there is anything you need I will procure it for you, but you are not allowed to go beyond the forest. Near here, past the line of trees there is a stream, if you follow the stream you will find a pond. That is where you may gather water or refresh yourselves but you are not allowed past that point." With that she left as if she was never there. The breeze rushed through the entrance and gently caressed the faces of its occupants.

"What the hell was that?" Edge blurted out. He had risen from his chair and was staring out through the entrance, searching for her.

"She just disappeared, without a warning or nothing." Meracle said. She pulled her legs close to her body and hugged herself.

"Well I guess there is no reason to waste the day; uh we could try and fix up this room at least. Repair the walls, check the living quarters. Make a game plan or something?" Reimi suggested, and with no verbal reply the group got to work. They picked up the larger plates from the walls and carried them over to Bacchus who quietly welded them into place. Lymle and Meracle took the liberty to investigate the bedrooms for damage and Edge walked into the Bridge to see the damage done there. They all did their own thing, thought about what had happened, pondered on what was to come, while Faize lost his thought on the face of the woman.

**If you have gotten this far yay! Thanks for the support. I am currently working on the 8th chapter and so far it's taken me forever! So if I get enough responses to keep going i'll take the initiative to work on the story. Thanks to the readers :**


	5. 1y, 3m, 27d's and Awkward Moments

**WOO, chapter 8 is here. I finally got around to working on this story after going through my profile and noticing that I actually have a review on this story. I was touched so I sat down all day and worked on this chapter. It's longer than most so that's good and I'll be working on the next chapter soon. So if this is your first read thank you for the view and comments are welcomed and if you are an old reader then welcome back and be happy! There is more to come. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8 : 1 Year, 3 months, 27 days and Awkward Moments

"Faize…" distantly the voice beckoned too him. "Faize! Damn it Faize move!" he snapped suddenly out of his thoughts and saw with great velocity a giant metal shard falling straight for him. Leaping back out of its way in the nick of time as it came crashing down onto the ground. "what on earth man?" Edge asked as he lept from the ship, wiping sweat from his brow and breathing heavily.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I uh…must have dozed off…"

"Well next time do it somewhere else. I suggest somewhere away from large metal walls."

"Or maybe just away from Edge." Meracle yelled down at them from the Calnus. She leaned her body over the edge and peered down at them, her face flush from the outside heat.

"Meracle, it was your fault that the thing fell in the first place." He yelled back at her making her frown with disapproval and vanished from sight. Edge turned away from Faize making his way to a large tub of water. He lifted up a ladle eagerly drinking the lukewarm water. Faize began to slowly drift off again when Reimi and Lymle walked past.

"Edge! You're going to use up all the water again." She barked in his direction.

"So, I was thirsty and I've been out in this heat all day long." He responded as he poured a ladle full of water onto his head.

"We are going to have to get more water now, 'kay'" Lymle said, crossing her arms. Edge didn't seem to hear her as he had taken the bucket and proceeded to pour its remaining contents onto his head.

"Edge!" Reimi screamed, setting down the fresh bucket of water and running over to him. Lymle waddled over to the bucket still carrying hers, albeit with entertaining results, and tried to lift the one Reimi left behind. She struggled under the weight, shuffled along towards the tub where the water was supposed to end up. Faize watched the little girl hobble across the field while Reimi and Edge continued to argue about, well about something. It was almost comical in its way watching them go about their way in whatever normal manner they could. He figured though, perhaps he should help in at least some way.

"Here Lymle let me get that." He said reaching around her small frame taking the bucket from her. Their faces brushed sending warm chills down his spine he reacted quickly backing away from the contact. "Sorry." He said shyly walking past her and towards the still bickering couple, could they be called that, by the water tub.

"It's ok" she replied turning her face away, she stood there for a while trying to hide the smile on her face when Edge and Reimi brought her to attention.

"Well now Edge, do you plan on getting more water?" Reimi asked in more of an ordering tone.

"I can't I'm too busy to go get water. Bacchus and I have been working on this ship for days now and I just have no time for trivial duties." He said brushing the hair from his face.

Faize noticed the tension building between them had slowly escalated ever sense they crashed onto this planet. It could have been a multitude of reasons; Reimi taking command of leadership, Meracle complaining more than usual or the lingering feeling that they were being watched. The last one might have been the real reason to everyone's uneasiness. They never saw anyone save for the few random animals that wandered around the edge of the field. Yet they never once saw the strange women sense the initial crash, she seemed to have disappeared completely, he began to wander if he would ever see her again.

"Well I'm not going back." She said crossing her arms. Faize was brought from his thoughts, again.

"Well I'm not going either." Edge mimicked. They both stood cross armed staring at one another, they would stand like that till the world imploded on itself if they could.

"I'll go." Faize finally offered, he never liked it when they fought it made him uneasy. They were supposed to be the strong ones; it's hard to keep a positive attitude when your leaders refuse to cooperate.

"Faize you don't have to go." Reimi said shaking her head.

"No its fine, it's not that big a deal." He lifted his bucket pouting its contents into the tub before walking towards the forest edge.

"Wait! Why don't you take Lymle? She can tell you where to find the river." Faize turned and looked at Lymle's reaction to the suggestion. She stood as still as a board, as if trying to hide from a predator in an open pasture. She didn't seem to willing to go and he really just wanted to be alone.

"No, it's ok." He said turning away," I'm sure I'll find it. Thanks though." He waved goodbye and disappeared through the trees. Lymle huffed turning sharply away leaving the bucket on the ground.

Faize wandered through the dense forest not noticing the countless eyes that watched his every step. He allowed his legs to take him wherever they pleased, not caring how far they took him from the ship. As he continued to walk he let his mind drift through the events of the past few days. Eventually he found his mind racing around in circles and it caused him to lose focus. His feet became caught in a protruding root bringing him plummeting to the ground.

The bucket he had been holding flew away from him and rolled down a shallow hill stopping at the bottom of the dip next to a cluster of trees. The ground was cool and damp on his face and he couldn't help but imagine that he heard laughter coming from the trees. A wave of embarrassment covered him and he shot up acting like he had purposefully fallen. Silently he scolded himself for being careless brushing the remnants of the ground from his clothes.

More attentive this time he continued his way through the woods until he heard the sound of running water. Following the sound he eventually came upon a stream, pausing at its edge he was astounded at the beauty it created. The sunlight glittered off the surface reflecting back a golden hue, stray leaves from the trees above floated past him in an eloquent dance while the tiny fished fought their way up the weak current. He noticed his reflection in the rippling water; it shifted his features and delicately distorted his face while in itself it stayed clear. Never before had he seen such a river, in fact never before had he seen such a planet. Even the trees were eloquent in their way; their bark was a deep mahogany stretching to great heights before vanishing behind various shades of vibrant leaves. The sun shone through the array of leaves casting a rainbow of color along the floor of the forest. It was as if everything on this planet created a beauty all its own.

After several minutes of admiration he remembered his purpose in finding it. Faize reached behind him for the bucket but to no avail, it wasn't there.

He let out a heavy sigh trying to remember when it was the last time he had it and then it hit him. It was all the way back where he fell. He felt so dumb, forgetting the most important item, the only item he needed for such a simple task. Fearing that he would never find it again he quickly retraced his steps back to the spot he lost it. After hours of searching he finally came upon the right spot, he knew he had found it when again his feet became entangled, fell and felt the same cool ground as before. He stood and began to investigate the area, when he saw it at the bottom of a small hill. With a sigh of relief he walked towards it and was just about to grab it when something else beat him too it. A small creature with six legs and slick fur stood two feet away from him with his bucket in its mouth.

"Come on little guy, give it back" Faize beckoned to the creature. It wagged its tail and lowered its front legs as if in a playful gesture. Faize carefully walked towards it reaching for the item when it bound away. "No!" Faize yelped chasing after it. They ran through the forest like a cat and mouse, a very generous mouse. If Faize got too far behind the animal would stop wait for him to catch up before taking off again.

He followed the creature all the way back to the stream, where it stood erect and proud on the ledge of an undersized waterfall. Faize was so out of breath that he couldn't even form the words to speak. He leaned against a near tree and tried to regain his composure while the six legged creature dropped the bucket and began to lap up the water in the stream.

'_This is my chance_' Faize thought to himself, cautiously he crawled over to the creature getting so close to grabbing the bucket without alerting the animal when like a bolt of lightning, it was tossed over the top of the waterfall. The small creature leaped around with joy and then ran off into the woods leaving Faize alone to wallow in defeat.

After finding a way down to the bottom of the waterfall Faize found the bucket bobbing in a pool. He found it drifting with the weeds on its brim. Relieved he walked over to it, triumphantly pulled it out of the water. As he congratulated himself, albeit a slight involvement of himself, for his accomplishment he turned back towards the falls and saw her, her sunkist skin dripping from the water that flowed over her body, her golden tress that clung to her naked frame. She stood only feet from him! His heart quickened and his face turned bright red, he wasn't sure what to do.

"_I should turn around. Maybe if I just turn around, she won't see that I was standing here…Staring at her glor… I really should turn around_." He told himself, yet he couldn't find the strength to do so.

"You're not doing a very good job at hiding?" She spoke making his whole body cease its functions.

His body raced and his brain refused to function right, outsider eyes would think he was having a seizure. His body jerked in a battle with itself, he moved his head violently around as if he searched for something. In fact he was searching for something, that something was an object you could hide behind, or disappear through. Yet everything he came up with only seemed to make the situation worse. '_Just walk away. Tree, bush or water? You didn't see anything. You didn't see her perfect… body glistening, in the…ah, no, nope just walk away_!' He fought with himself for a long time before finally finding the strength to move. Taking a few steps away from the pool he was stopped by a gentle whisper on his neck.

Faize turned around watching her quietly walk past him and over to a small patch of rocks where she sat running her hands through her hair. She looked mystical as the light shown around her and the shadows from the trees above danced on her face. Faize wanted so badly to sit next to her, to run his hands through her hair, why he wasn't really sure it was unlike him to have such strong urges. Yet as his eyes traced over her half exposed body he couldn't help but allow his thoughts to wander to the perverse. She reached behind where she sat and grabbed her garments which he assumed she laid out to dry. She slid the cloth over her head allowing it to fall loosely around her frame sticking occasionally to her still wet skin.

"What are you doing here?" She spoke grabbing his attention. "Or do you always barge in on others while they bathe?" Aryia smiled at him waiting for his answer.

"Oh! I'm sorry." He said watching her graceful movements. "I-I was not…I mean I uh didn't…I-I, uh what was the question?" he sputtered out, his embarrassment starting to grow.

Aryia could tell that he was having problems controlling himself. His heart rate was accelerating and his breathing began to quicken. She could only imagine the small battle that he fought, trying to hide his ever obvious attraction to her. In most ways it flattered her, yet she hadn't had contact with another in quite some time so it wasn't hard to do. Although there was something about this particular boy that made her curious, his straight green hair that shaped perfectly round his face. His vibrant purple eyes that showed incredible incite and wonder with everything they saw. The strange ears that poked from beneath his hair all greatly fascinated her and if she wasn't careful her interest in him might be as obvious as his was to her. Aryia enjoyed watching him; she found comfort in his company, a loneliness filled when he was near to her. She had no idea who this boy was what he was like or where exactly he came from but she enjoyed him nevertheless.


End file.
